Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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25. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will extend the remit of the Office of Government Procurement to cover professional services on behalf of the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16782/14]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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As you are aware, the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) has been established to centralise the procurement of common goods and services across the Public Service.  This move is in line with best practice in the public and private sector and is part of the continuing reform programme being driven by my Department.  The reform of Public Service procurement functions will deliver sustainable savings for the tax-payer and make a significant contribution to the deficit reduction programme.

To support the implementation of strategic cost reductions, the OGP have adopted a Category Council model.  There are sixteen Category Councils and each one will operate as a working group to address a particular category of spend across the Public Service.  The Councils are made up of representatives from across the Public Service to ensure broad involvement, particularly from those areas with significant spend.

  The role of each Category Council is to develop the category management strategy including policy setting, demand management, sourcing strategy and executive decision-making on strategic sourcing initiatives, including implementation and compliance measurement.

I am aware that the OGP have already established a Category Council for the procurement of Professional Services.  The total expenditure under this category is estimated at €700 million and includes areas of spend such as legal services, insurance and financial services.  The category will be defined by a range of services that will be prioritised for action based on expenditure, demand, and opportunities for savings. 

  Through the OGP, the Public Service will speak with one 'voice' to the market for services under this category of expenditure, eliminating duplication and taken advantage of the scale of public procurement to best effect.

The OGP is currently mobilising procurement staff from across the public service to fulfil its mandate. This public service wide recruitment campaign is planned to complete in early summer. This will provide the OGP the resources necessary to address the common categories of spend which it is targeting, including professional services.